#roadblock

I was about to type out a response, but had dejavu and, yeah, this was actually a punchline to one of the DofA Roadblock strips.

Cartoon Heroes Paper Cut-Outs

G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero

Developed by Ron Friedman and Steve Gerber in conjunction with Hasbro Toys and Marvel Comics, G.I. Joe, A Real American hero is a cartoon series centered on the adventures of a special division of the American Military dedicated to defending the world from the terrorist organization known as Cobra.  The project began as a series of animated commercials to promote the G.I. Joe action figure toy-line and associated comic book.  These commercials proved quite popular, ultimately leading to an animated miniseries that segued into an ongoing series.  

The Joes themselves are composed of various soldiers from different branches of the armed services, each having a catchy codename and bringing specialized skills to the team.  This includes the field commander, airborne first sergeant Duke (voiced by Michael Bell); military intelligence officer, Scarlett (voiced by B. J. Ward); the enigmatic special forces commando, Snake-Eyes; infantry heavy arms specialist Roadblock (voiced by Kene Holliday); covert operations agent Lady Jaye (voiced by Mary McDonald-Lewis); warrant officer Flint (voiced by Bill Ratner); ranger and drill instructor Beachhead (voiced by William Callaway); and the naval officer, Shipwreck (voiced by Neil Ross); along with many, many more.  All working in concert to defeat the the forces of Cobra and its leader, the villainous Cobra Commander!

Although the Joes’ battles with Cobra are quite violent, the show makes a point of rarely showing any casualties.  Both sides use laser rounds in place of standard ammunition and any planes or helicopters shot down are always accompanied by showing the pilots parachuting to safety.   Furthermore, each episode ended with a public safety lesson that featured a G.I. Joe character in brief scenarios to impart safety tips to children… because ‘knowing is half the battle!’